Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Exxon Mobil Corporation Profit Up 49% On One-Time Gains, Shares Slip

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM), the world's largest publicly traded oil company, said Thursday its second-quarter profit rose 49 percent, helped by a gain related to divestments and tax items.

Shares of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) fell 0.79 percent, to $84.57, in Thursday's premarket trading.

The Irving, Texas-based company earned $15.9 billion, or $3.41 a share, compared with $10.68 billion, or $2.18 a share in the year-ago period. Excluding a gain of $7.5 billion for divestments and tax-related items, Exxon Mobil earned $8.4 billion.

More 

Jobs Program Spent $76,000 Per Person To Help Youth Find Minimum Wage Jobs

A new jobs training oversight report by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) found that a federally-funded Oklahoma Job Corps program spent around $76,000 per person to help youth secure minimum wage jobs. 

The report, released Tuesday, comes 18 months after a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found that billions of taxpayer dollars are being poured into job training programs that benefit those who run them, not the unemployed workers they are supposed to assist.  

"Taxpayers should be appalled Congress has done nothing to reform these programs for more than 18 months," said Sen. Coburn. 

More

Md. Court Creates Manual For Non-Lawyers

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals has created a guide to help non-lawyers represent themselves in court.

Chief Judge Peter Krauser says that approximately 2,000 appeals are filed with his court every year, and more than one in four cases involves at least one party that does not have an attorney. The guide walks non-lawyers through the appeals process including requirements for court filings, definitions and sample documents.

More

Healthcare and Housing Subsidies Crippling US Economy

Government subsidies, which are crippling the U.S. economy, totaled $1.4 trillion in 2010, and health care and housing led the way. Housing was responsible for $227 billion, 16% of the total, but health care accounted for a whopping $743 billion, which amounted to more than half, 53%.




Education received $129 billion in 2010, through grants to school districts and lower-income college students and tax breaks on college savings. Compared to health, housing and education, the energy sector took a miniscule portion; it only received $35 billion worth of subsidies.

More 

East River ‘Monster’: Grotesque Carcass Washes up in NYC and Residents Can’t Figure Out What It Is

New York City is notorious for dangerously large rats — at least if you watch the movies, that’s what they would have you to believe. But an unidentified monstrous animal that was found dead on the shoreline of the East River has locals and officials scratching their heads.

On Monday, Gothamist posted a photo taken by Denise Ginley of the East River creature. You can view all of Ginley’s photos here (Note: You may need to login to a Yahoo account to view all 18 of her photos), but below are a few of them.

Here’s how the carcass of the animal, which clearly has had rigor mortis set in, is first described by Gothamist:
Our tipster wrote, “Is this another incarnation of the Montauk Monster, or just the biggest rat in the city?” The animal was under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Manhattan side, and was “maybe two feet, a bit more perhaps, head to tail.”
 More

Weather Alert

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 528 IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EDT FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN MARYLAND THIS WATCH INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES
IN THE LOWER EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND
DORCHESTER SOMERSET WICOMICO WORCESTER
IN VIRGINIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES
IN EAST CENTRAL VIRGINIA
ESSEX RICHMOND WESTMORELAND
IN NORTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA
CAROLINE
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF... BERLIN... BOWLING GREEN... CAMBRIDGE... COLONIAL BEACH... CRISFIELD... EDEN... MOUNT VERNON... OCEAN CITY... OCEAN PINES... POCOMOKE CITY... PRINCESS ANNE... SALISBURY... TAPPAHANNOCK... WARSAW AND WEST OCEAN CITY.

Obama Supporter Interviews Her 2008 Self

‘Auschwitz-Like Conditions’: U.S. General Accused of Massive Afghan Cover-Up to Protect Obama During Election Year

US military officers accused one of the highest-ranking US commanders in Afghanistan, Lieutenant General William Caldwell, of trying to cover up a horrifying scandal at a taxpayer-funded hospital in Kabul to limit bad news in an election year, the AFP reports.

Colonel Mark Fassl, who testified Tuesday, said he was shocked when Lt. Gen. William Caldwell cited the then-upcoming 2010 congressional elections as the reason not to investigate the hospital.

The general reportedly said at the time: “How could we … make this request with elections coming? He calls me Bill.”

Col. Fassl said he believed the “he” in that statement was a reference to President Obama.

More

Week 4 Results For Checkpoint Strikeforce

Nine (9) people were arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs during the fourth weekend of the 2012 Checkpoint Strikeforce DUI prevention campaign. This brings the total DUI arrests made as part of the campaign to 42. Statewide, there have been over 2,600 DUI arrests made in Delaware this year.



[more]

Worries Grow As Healthcare Firms Send Jobs Overseas

After years of shipping data-processing, accounting and other back-office work abroad, some healthcare companies are starting to shift clinical services and decision-making on medical care overseas, primarily to India and the Philippines.

Some of the jobs being sent abroad include so-called pre-service nursing, where nurses at insurance firms, for example, help assess patient needs and determine treatment methods.

Outsourcing such tasks goes beyond earlier steps by healthcare firms to farm out reading of X-rays and other diagnostic tests to health professionals overseas. Those previous efforts were often done out of necessity, to meet overnight demands, for instance.

More

Biden Speech Bombs With Philadelphia Firefighters

When Barack Obama and Joe Biden first began campaigning in 2008, their complimentary advantages as candidates were fairly clear – that is, Obama was the candidate who spoke to the young and minority voters (who had, up until that point, been his base) most capably, while Biden was the one who spoke to restive blue collar workers. As a matter of fact, Biden’s constant references to “taking the train” back from Washington were probably intended to demonstrate this supposedly more homespun character.

Yet as Vice President, Biden has shown himself to be prone to gaffes, even in his supposed home turf, a fact that has complicated this otherwise simple division of labor between him and the President. And Biden’s lack of comfort in the public eye, has, at least recently, become increasingly difficult not to notice. For evidence, simply look at his speech today to the International Association of Firefighters in Philadelphia.

More

Supporters Vow to Keep Cross in California Veterans Tribute Despite Court Ruling

For decades, there has been a First Amendment battle raging over the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial in La Jolla, Calif., where a large cross anchors a tribute to Korean War veterans.

Because it sits on public property, the American Civil Liberties Union has long argued that the cross amounts to an unconstitutional entanglement of government and religion.

In 2011, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, triggering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but in June, the high court justices declined to hear the case.

More

DHS Head: Expect More Members of Terrorist Organizations to Visit US

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told Congress today to expect more members of designated foreign terrorist organizations to visit the United States.

“I think you are right in pointing out that as we move forward we are going to continue to have visitors to this country that the State Department and others feel are useful to bring to the country to have discussions moving forward who say they are members of the political party that in the past have been so designated,” Napolitano told House Homeland Security Committee chairman Pete King, R-N.Y. during a committee hearing this morning.

More

Puppy Makes Journey From Afghanistan to Arlington Home

Bear, a 1-and-a-half year old mutt, may run around in Holly Barnes' Arlington yard like any other dog. However, it's his upbringing and life before finding a Northern Virginia home that sets him apart from the rest.



The fact that he even survived to live with Barnes is remarkable in itself.

Bear was born on a United States Marine base in Helmand Province of southern Afghanistan after his mother, Claire, was taken in by troops from the streets. As a pup, he went out on patrol and survived on food scraps from MREs.

More

Judge Says Accused Fort Hood Gunman Can Have His Beard Forcibly Shaved to Comply With Army Regulations

FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — An Army psychiatrist charged with killing 13 people in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood will be forcibly shaved if he doesn’t remove his beard himself, a judge said Wednesday.

Maj. Nidal Hasan appeared in court Wednesday sporting a beard as he did during a court appearance last month. The beard violates Army regulations, but Hasan said it is an expression of his Muslim faith.

The judge, Col. Gregory Gross, held Hasan in contempt of court for keeping the beard and fined him $1,000. Fort Hood spokesman Chris Haug said Gross gave Hasan the choice to shave on his own or be forcibly shaved sometime before his court-martial begins Aug. 20.

More

Probation For Lottery Winner Who Continued To Collect Food Stamps

Remember the Michigan woman who was charged with fraud because she continued to collect welfare and food stamps even after she won the lottery? Well, a decision has been reached in the case and she has been sentenced to six months' probation.

More »

In Sign of Lofty Ambition, O'Malley Launches Federal PAC

In a sign of lofty national ambitions, Gov.Martin O'Malleyhas created a federal political action committee that could become the main financial vehicle for a presidential run in 2016.
O'Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese confirmed Thursday that O'Malley has put in the papers to register what is being called the O Say Can You See PAC with the Federal Election Commission. The PAC gives the governor a federal political vehicle for spending on races at both the national and state level.
Creation of the PAC was first reported Wednesday in the Washington publication Roll Call. In the modern political era, such a committee is practically a prerequisite  for a candidate to launch a presidential campaign.
  More

Governor Signs Bill Requiring Credit Check To Protect Children Aging Out Of Foster Care From Identity Theft

With two young people who aged out of foster care and experienced identity theft and credit report issues at his side, Governor Markell signed into law today a measure that helps protect them and others like them from moving into adulthood with no knowledge of their credit report information. Effective January 1, 2013, children preparing to age out of foster care will, by law, receive a credit history report to protect them from identity theft.

[more]

Have A Seat, Let's Talk

It's always nice when I get the opportunity to meet some really great Salisbury residents and talk about Salisbury's future.

Some Employers Plan On Dropping Health Benefits To Deal With Rising Medical Costs

In somewhat troubling news for the more than 160 million Americans who get their healthcare through employer-sponsored programs, almost 10% of those employers say they'll likely drop health coverage for their workers in the next three years, blaming rising medical costs.

More »

DSHA Expands Loan Program To Help Non First-Time Buyers

The Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) has announced an important change to its homebuyer program that will allow qualified non first-time homebuyers to purchase a home in Delaware using a low, 30-year fixed-rate home loan.

[more]

Investigators Looking For Wanted Sex Offender

Location: Seaford, DE

Date of Occurrence: July 10, 2012

Suspect and Charges:

Arius Cannon, 21, Seaford, DE (Photo Attached)
Black male, 6’00” tall, 230 lbs., black hair, and brown eyes
Failure to Re-Register as a Sex Offender

Resume:
Seaford, DE- The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit (S.O.A.R) is currently looking for a Seaford sex offender after he failed to re-register his current address.

Investigators have obtained warrants on Arius Cannon, 21, who is a moderate risk Tier 2 sex offender, after they learned that he failed to re-register is home address within three days as he is required to do by law.

Arius Cannon is described as a black male, 6’00” tall and 230 lbs., black hair and brown eyes.

The Delaware State Police Sex Offender Apprehension and Registration Unit is asking anyone who may know the location of Arius Cannon to call 9-1-1 or 302-739-5882. Citizens may also provide a tip by texting keyword “DSP” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES). Tipsters may also provide information through lines maintained by Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333.

Callers can also submit information via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com.

Chick Fil-A Claims Henson Toy Recall Unrelated To Same-Sex Marriage Controversy

As you have probably already heard, the Jim Henson Company announced last Friday that it was severing ties with restaurant chain Chick fil-A because its leadership has recently affirmed its stance against same-sex marriage. Now there is murmuring on the Internet that Chick fil-A pulled its existing inventory of Henson toys from stores, claiming an unrelated safety recall.

More »

Yard Sales


If you want to publish a Yard Sale for this weekend you'll need to send the information by tonight. alberobutzo@wmconnect.com

Report: Supreme Court Ruling Means Affordable Care Act Will Be Cheaper But 3 Million Will Go Uninsured

The Congressional Budget Office has been busy crunching numbers since President Obama’s health-care initiative was upheld by last month's Supreme Court ruling, and it seems there's a little bit of both good and bad news as a result. The bulk of the Affordable Care Act was upheld in the ruling and it turns out it'll be cheaper to execute than previously thought, but the decision also means it will leave millions of people without insurance.

More »

JOSHUA HUFFMAN CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF MINOR

On July 23, 2012, Joshua Huffman, age 35, of Hebron, Wicomico County, Maryland, was convicted by a jury sitting in Wicomico County of sexual abuse of minor, second degree sexual offense, third degree sexual offense, second degree assault and causing ingestion of bodily fluids. The State expects sentencing to be held in approximately sixty days. The Defendant faces a minimum mandatory fifteen (15) year sentence, to life on the second degree sexual offense, and an additional twenty-five (25) years on the sexual abuse of a minor.

Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the Wicomico Child Advocacy Center and its partners (Maryland State Police, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury Police Department, Department of Social Services and Life Crisis Center). Mr. Maciarello also thanked Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes who prosecuted this case.

Forget Food Trucks And Rolling Retailers; This Guy Operates His Gym From The Back Of His Pickup

Yesterday we told you about retailers who were following the food truck model of taking their wares to customers on the city streets. But that's nothing compared to the guy who decided the best way to get customers to his gym was to bring his gym to the public -- in the back of his pickup truck.

More »

BREAKING NEWS: SHOOTING

There's been an accidental shooting on State Street near Old Ocean City Road in Willards. An 11 year old was shot in the head. More to come

GARDNER BENJAMIN GREEN SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS FOR SEX ABUSE OF A MINOR

On July 20, 2012, Gardner Benjamin Green, age 41, of Fruitland, Maryland was sentenced to a period of active incarceration of 12 years for the crime of sexual abuse of a minor that occurred on February 11, 2012 at North Dulaney Avenue, Fruitland, Maryland. Gardner Benjamin Green pleaded guilty to the top count of the indictment on May 8, 2012.

Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the Child Advocacy Center, the Department of Social Services and Detective Mark Merritt of the Salisbury Police Department for their work in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Mr. Maciarello also thanked Pamela M. Correa, Assistant State’s Attorney, who prosecuted this case.

50 Years Of The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones turn 50 this year, and in honor of the iconic rock band's anniversary, music journalist Hanspeter Kuenzler has released a new e-book featuring articles about the band and interviews with everyone from old girlfriends to the band members themselves.

It also includes more than 150 images of the band, many of them old and rare.

The first part of the two-part collection, called 50 Years: The Rolling Stones – Views from the Inside, Views from the Outside, was released this month. It covers the first 25 years of the band and is available on iTunes and Amazon.

Click through for a sneak peek at some of the amazing old photos in the e-book.

Click here to see the photos >

Va., Md. Parents Bail on College Savings Plans

Soaring tuition costs have become a concern not only for Virginia and Maryland families dropping their kids off at college next month, but for those whose children are just starting kindergarten.

The number of Virginians investing in state-run savings programs to help pay for college down the road dropped 70 percent over the last nine years, from more than 10,000 in 2003 to about 3,000 in 2012. In Maryland, participation in the so-called prepaid tuition 529 programs dropped by more than 45 percent, from 4,300 in 2003 to 2,300 in 2011, the latest year of available data.

More 

Can You Put A Price Tag On A Dream?

Yes, according to new documents from the Homeland Security Department. And the price is $585 million. That's how much it estimated President Barack Obama's so-called "Dream Act Plan" could cost to administer. The plan would grant work permits to immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. The DHS-report also suggested a $465 fee for applicants to offset the cost. DHS expected more than 1 million people to apply for the special permit.

Insourcing the Outsourcers’ Cash

One of the largest donors to the pro-Obama Super PAC Priorities USA is the founder and former CEO of a company that pioneered the practice of shipping work overseas.

Dr. Irwin Jacobs, who founded the telecommunications firm Qualcomm in 1985 and served as chairman and CEO until March 2009, gave $2 million to Priorities USA in June, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

He has also given $100,000 to American Bridge 21st Century, the left-wing research operation funded by billionaire financier George Soros.

More

Deadbeat Federal Employees

If you owe child support payments, it may be coming out of your Thrift Savings Plan account. The Federal Times reported TSP was garnishing the savings of federal employees who were behind in their payments. TSP was processing more than 1,100 child-support court orders a month. While TSP's managers have had this power for a long time, they haven't always used it. But in 2010 they signed a memo of understanding with the Health and Human Services Department. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board estimates 35,000 participants are behind on child support.

Md. Comptroller Announces Contraband Violations

Maryland's comptroller says tobacco and alcohol contraband violations increased in the last fiscal year.

Comptroller Peter Franchot announced Wednesday that 196 people were charged with tobacco violations in fiscal 2012, which ended July 1. He also says 325,851 packs of cigarettes valued at nearly $2 million were confiscated.

The comptroller says both numbers represent a significant increase from the prior two fiscal years, when 72,105 and 184,498 packs were seized, respectively.

More

The Department Of Homeland Security Is A Conduit for Crony Capitalism

As if we needed more evidence. Not only is Big Sis’ Department of Homeland Security (DHS) taking away our civil liberties, but we now find out it is a conduit for crony capitalists to make more money off the U.S. taxpayer. The story I am referencing today concerns the Federal Protective Service (FPS), which is an agency within the DHS that is “charged with overseeing a force of approximately 13,000 private sector security guards, employed by 38 contractors, who protect nearly 9,000 federal buildings.”

So in 2008, FPS awarded a $21 million contract to Booz Allen Hamilton to develop the Risk Assessment and Management Program (RAMP), a computer program intended to streamline the management of security contracts and oversight of guards. Well, the rest is another made in America story of crony capitalism, sanctioned at the highest level by our Liar in Chief, Barack Obama: The King of Crony Capitalism (after all he is best buds with government welfare baby Uncle Warren Buffett and outsourcing heavyweight Jeff Immelt of GE).

I will simply allow quotes from the article tell the rest of this story…

More

ABC's Ross Controversy Sign Of The Times

ABC News president Ben Sherwood told staff today that last Friday's incorrect report by Brian Ross detracts from the network's otherwise excellent coverage of the Colorado theater shooting, network sources tell POLITICO. Sherwood's remarks, made on the network's daily editorial conference call, came the morning after Ross's report was picked up by late night comedians John Stewart and Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central, both of whom used Ross's erroneous suggestion of a Tea Party link to the Colorado theater shooting as fodder for their Monday night routines. – Politico

Dominant Social Theme: Murderous activity is a right wing phenomenon.

Free-Market Analysis: Here is yet another sign of the times we live in. ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross mentioned that the so-called Batman shooter Jim Holmes might have an affiliation with the Colorado Tea Party movement and is now being reprimanded by ABC.

How times have changed. Ross is not to be blamed. He was presenting the same leftist orientation that had previously helped him become successful.

In fact, the motivation for mentioning this purported affiliation was simple. For Ross to try to affiliate Holmes with a "right wing" cause was perfectly natural. In fact, there is nothing in "news" that does not pass through the filter of politics.

Modern news is an invention of the current power elite that uses mass media to reinforce its control over the justice system.

More

GOODBYE AMERICA

For as long as I’ve lived you’ve been my only home. I’ve had a wonderful life here. Your inhabitants are almost universally kind, and I’ve become lifelong friends with many of your citizens. All of my family lives here, everyone I have ever known or loved, and I will miss them all a lot. But after 22 years, I feel impelled to leave.

According to your founders, “When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one [person] to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to be disrespectful.

At first glance, you look like the greatest of all social systems. You seem like a stable and sturdy structure. People look at you and see strength. They see freedom and opportunity, democracy and unity. But a peak behind the curtain reveals a scared old man, desperately trying to maintain an illusion. Your size and complexity hide a simple truth: that you don’t physically exist. You are nothing more than a system of human interaction; not a thing in and of itself, but the result of a widespread pattern of behavior. You emerge from our beliefs, and the actions they compel us to take.

We learn our roles and play them well. The guards act like guards, the judges act like judges, the cops act like cops, and we all pay our taxes. You exist because individuals behave as if you did. Of course this seems patently obvious, but it has some frequently overlooked implications. There is an inherent problem with this sort of system, a cancer written in your genetic code, an inoperable tumor that spells your demise.

The mistake is so subtle that generations have failed to identify it. Your creators devised a way to hide it for centuries. They separated your powers, pitted ambition against ambition to mask your fatal flaw. As long as people were content, as long as your tyranny was well hidden, the problem went unnoticed. But it was there all along, metastasizing beneath the stars and stripes.

The problem is choice. I alone control my actions. Your system depends on us adhering to a certain pattern of behavior, but we each have the power to reject it. You will only survive as long as individuals believe you exist and act accordingly, but you cannot compel the choice. You can never take away my ability to choose life without you, to ignore your behavioral suggestions, to act on my own.

Oh but of course, you tried your best to conceal this fact, to convince me I needed you, to give me faith in your existence, to make me fall in love with you, to count you as my own. You started young, indirectly at first and then directly through my “education”.

More

Today's Fill In The Blank 7-26-12

I want more ____.

Global Crisis - The Convergence Of Marx, Orwell And Kafka

The global crisis is not merely economic; it is the result of profound financial, sociological and political trends best captured by Marx, Orwell and Kafka.

The global crisis is best understood as the convergence of the modern trends identified by Marx, Orwell and Kafka. Let's start with Franz Kafka [7], the writer (1883-1924) who most eloquently captured the systemic injustices of all powerful bureaucracies--the alienation experienced by the hapless citizen enmeshed in the bureaucratic web, petty officialdom's mindless persecutions of the innocent, and the intrinsic absurdity of the centralized State best expressed in this phrase: "We expect errors, not justice."

If this isn't the most insightful summary of the Eurozone debacle, then what is? A lawyer by training and practice, Kafka understood that the the more powerful and entrenched the bureaucracy, the greater the collateral damage rained on the innocent, and the more extreme the perversion of justice.

The entire global financial system is Kafkaesque: the bureaucracies of the Central State have two intertwined goals: protect the financial Elites from the consequences of their parasitic predation, and protect their own power and perquisites.

While Marx understood the predatory, parasitic nature of Monopoly Capitalism, he did not anticipate the State's partnering with Cartel/Crony Capitalism; in effect, the State has appropriated the appropriators, stripmining the citizenry to protect the financial sector from the consequences of their "business model" (leverage, fraud, embezzlement and the misrepresentation of risk). But the State doesn't merely enable ("regulate") the predation of financiers; it also stripmines the citizenry to fund its own expansion into every nook and cranny of civil society.

More

Retirement: Surely You Jest

A 90% cogent article in The New York Times discusses the utter absence of any contact with reality in most Americans' retirement plans. The numbers do not come close to adding up. The article is here.


Here are the basics. This will help you think through your situation.


Let me begin with the obvious: I am 70 years old. You are reading an article written by a man who is eight years beyond early retirement, as determined by the Social Security Administration.


At age 62, an American who has paid into Social Security can decide to begin receiving checks from Social Security. The monthly check will be below what it would be if he waits until normal retirement age, which can be up to 67 years old. By retiring at 62, the retiree's monthly benefit is reduced by anywhere from 25% to 30%.


In addition to Gary North's Reality Check, a twice-weekly eletter, I have two profit-seeking websites:


www.GaryNorth.comwww.TeaPartyEconomist.com


My work day is probably longer than yours. I begin around 3 a.m., and I end at 8 p.m. I take a 20-minute nap in the afternoon.


More

Caleche Ranae Manos Suing Los Angeles County Sheriff's Officers


Los Angeles County sheriff's officers stormed the wrong apartment, held two people at gunpoint, harassed them, and refused to offer an explanation, according to a lawsuit filed by the Miss Nevada 2007 winner.

Caleche Ranae Manos claims she and her fiance Eric Otto Ryder were asleep on the morning of Nov. 15, 2011 when sheriff's deputies mistakenly entered their apartment, according to Mano's lawsuit, which was first reported Wednesday by Courthouse News Service.

Deputies were carrying a search warrant for Apartment C but accidentally entered Manos' apartment, which was Apartment A, the lawsuit stated.

"At that time Ms. Manos was still in bed and was naked," her complaint stated. "The sheriff deputies, all of which were male and armed with guns, ordered Ms. Manos to get out of bed and then watched as she attempted to do so."

More

Today's Advertiser Of The Day 7-26-12



QUOTES OF THE DAY 7-26-12

The free market is ugly and stupid, like going to the mall; the unfree market is just as ugly and just as stupid, except there is nothing in the mall and if you don’t go there they shoot you. P.J. O’Rourke

Our predictive capacity of the specific things which the economic system will do at a particular date is limited in exactly the same fashion in which our biological knowledge is largely limited if our task were to predict what a living organism will do at a particular date. Friedrich Hayek

There’s one way to find out if a man is honest – ask him. If he says, “Yes,” you know he is a crook. Groucho Marx

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein (attribute)

A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. Thomas Jefferson

The word ‘politics’ is derived from the word ‘poly’, meaning ‘many’, and the word ‘ticks’, meaning ‘blood sucking parasites’. Larry Hardiman

Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest. Shakespeare

Troopers Arrest Dover Woman For Abusing A Corpse

Location:

Unit block of Squire Circle, Royal Grant Development, Dover, DE

Date of Occurrence:

August 2011

Victim:

Justice Hooks, 2 year old male

Defendant, Charges and Bail Information:

Karen N. Hooks, 33, Dover, DE (Photo Attached)
Abusing a Corpse

Arraigned at JP2 and committed to Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on $1,000.00 cash bail.

Resume:
Dover, DE- The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit has arrested a Dover woman in connection with abusing her son’s corpse.

Detectives began an investigation into a missing child complaint on July 9, 2012 after receiving information from Division of Family Services (DFS) that a pregnant woman was no longer pregnant and her two year old child was missing. Detectives made contact with a relative of the homeowner living in the unit block of Squire Circle in Royal Grant Development after she had growing concerns that a Karen N. Hooks, who was living at the residence, was due to give birth in June but the baby was nowhere to be found. The female was also concerned about Hooks’ two year old son because she had not seen him since August of 2011.

On July 13, 2012, Detectives made contact with Karen Hooks who informed them her son, Justice, was currently in the care of a female friend in Smyrna. Karen also denied the fact that she was ever pregnant.

Through the investigation, detectives were unable to verify Hooks’ story and due to the concerns for the welfare of the child, obtained a search warrant on July 25th for the house on Squire Circle. During the search, a suspiciously wrapped package was located in a storage area shared by Hooks and another female roommate. The contents, which appeared to be human remains, were removed by the Medical Examiner’s Office and transported to Georgetown where they were examined. A post-mortem was performed and it was determined that the remains were of a male child at least one year of age.

Karen N. Hooks was arrested and taken back to Troop 3 where she was arraigned at JP2 on the charge of Abusing a Corpse. She is currently committed to WCI on $1,000.00 cash bail.

Homicide Detectives and the Medical Examiner’s Office are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the child. Additional charges are possible based on the results of the investigation.

Let Freedom Ring Out...One Round At A Time


by Delegate Michael A. McDermott
There are always challenges living in a free society. Perhaps the first is ensuring that freedom continues to prosper corporately, and the second is to ensure that one’s personal freedom is not ravaged by those who may seek to do harm.

Our wise founders took care of both in declaring our freedom and then establishing our collective Constitution to protect the essence of that liberty. Like many liberal states in the Union, Maryland has long rejected the rights of individuals to protect themselves and their loved ones from harm through the use of a firearm concealed on their person. Denying them this liberty became the subject of a lawsuit known as the “Woollard Case”.

In recent days, the Hon. Judge Benson Legg of the Federal Court of Appeals has issued his awaited order in the case declaring that Maryland’s “good and substantial cause” standard represents an unconstitutional burden for Marylanders.

The court has clearly stated that our people do not need a “good and substantial” reason to exercise their God given (and Constitutionally recognized) right to protect themselves and their loved ones with a firearm at all times. The burden does not rest on the individual to prove they have a need, and this ruling will require the Maryland State Police to come up with new standards when it comes to the issuance of Carry Permits.

This is not the end of the fight, but it represents a true milestone in the battle to have Maryland join the majority of states which do not stand unnecessarily in the way of their citizens right to wear and carry firearms. Kudos to those who have fought the good fight. Particular praise should be ascribed to Delegate Michael Smeigel (R-Cecil) who has been rock steady in raising the questions in the House Judiciary Committee in recent years. His work has not gone unnoticed and has truly defined the position of the Maryland State Police when it comes to the issuance of Handgun Carry Permits on the record.

States that have trusted their citizens with the right to carry firearms have benefitted from lower murder rates and fewer violent crimes. States that have stood in the way of their people continue to struggle.

The bottom line in Maryland is this: If you want to protect a piece of gold on your way to the bank, the state will allow you, as a merchant, to have a permit to carry a firearm while making the deposit. If you want to transport diamonds from one place to another, the state will allow you to protect your property with a concealed firearm. Yet, up until this decision, the same state police will not allow you to conceal a firearm to protect your family when you take a trip to the mall.

There is something terribly skewed when we place greater value on jewelry and money than we do on those we love. Is there any question of “greater value” in these cases? While carrying a firearm may not be the choice of everyone, it should be recognized as a precious right of a free people. It should not be up for debate.

A government “of the people” should not fear those same people and their right of self protection. When government steps in to differentiate between certain rights over others, the red flags should go up in the hearts of all who love freedom.

I encourage all who desire one to file the required paperwork for a Wear and Carry Permit with the Maryland State Police. Clearly, the burden for a citizen to prove a need has been lifted. The burden now rests with the state to find a legitimate reason to deny the right.

Troopers Investigate Armed Robbery Of Bridgeville Shore Stop

Location:
Shore Stop, 18654 South Main Street, Bridgeville, DE

Date of Occurrence:
Thursday July 26, 2012 at approximately 12:15 a.m.

Victim:
62 year old female employee

Suspect:
Black male, 20-25 years of age, 5’10”-6’00” tall, 150-180 lbs., thin build. Last seen wearing a white shirt, dark pants, and dark colored mask to disguise his identity. Suspect armed with a handgun
No surveillance photo’s available at this time.

Resume:
Bridgeville, DE-Troopers are investigating the armed robbery of a Bridgeville Shore Stop that occurred early this morning,

The incident occurred at approximately 12:15 a.m. this morning as a male suspect entered the Shore Stop located on South Main Street armed with a handgun and wearing a dark colored mask to disguise his identity. The suspect confronted the 62 year old female clerk and pointed the handgun at her demanding money. The clerk complied and turned over an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect then grabbed several cartons of cigarettes before fleeing the store in a northern direction. The clerk was not injured in the incident.

If anyone has any information in reference to this incident, they are asked to contact Troop 4 at 302-856-5850 Extension #211 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. Information may also be provided via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com

Send an anonymous tip by text to 274637 (CRIMES) using the keyword "DSP."

CFR Globalists Say Don't Worry - "Your Guns Are In Safe Hands"

It’s funny, I was worried about my Second Amendment rights just a moment ago, but now that the Council On Foreign Relations, a global governance think tank and inbred cesspool of despotic elitism, has explained the situation to me, I suddenly feel at ease…

In preparation for the fast approaching UN summit on “international conventional arms trade” in New York, the CFR has published yet another disinformation piece skewing the facts and twisting reality to lull Americans into a state of apathy:

http://blogs.cfr.org/patrick/2012/07/20/your-guns-are-in-safe-hands/

Am I surprised that the CFR would rehash the talking points of the UN and declare uninhibited support for their worldwide gun grabbing bid? Of course not. The CFR and the UN are part and parcel of the same nefarious sea monster; each tentacle does its duty to rend sovereign ships asunder. However, such propaganda articles from establishment organizations do give us an opportunity to dissect and annihilate a host of lies and misdirections in one fell swoop. There may not be much sport in pulling apart the CFR’s poorly composed arguments, but, it has to be done…

CFR writers Stewart Patrick and Emma Welch begin with a kind of red herring distraction, immediately bringing up the internal conflicts in Syria as some kind of rationale for the UN putting its nose into the gun buying habits of sovereign countries. I would like to point out that most of the “illegally procured” firearms being shipped into Syria are coming from the U.S. to supply an insurgency which is now looking more and more like a bought and paid for destabilizing false flag army rather than a true and honest revolution for freedom:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/syrian-rebels-get-influx-of-arms-with-gulf-neighbors-money-us-coordination/2012/05/15/gIQAds2TSU_story.html

More

The Similarities Are Eerie




With the recent petition drive flopping, many seem to be running in the opposite direction when it comes to supporting the Mayor.




400 or so Salisbury signatures clearly shows Mayor Ireton has not only lost his touch, people are growing tired of the hissy fits, ethics charges and the petitions.




If this was soon after Ireton was elected he probably would have instantly received 2,000 signatures. However, once we announced his "Ireton Downtown Projects" for revitalizing Downtown Salisbury, people have come to learn just what Jim Ireton is really about and it isn't much different than the former Mayor.




He's about the Obama agenda and that's it. He's about entitlements and NOT working to bring in new businesses, jobs and manufacturing. Oh, you can bet now that he'll be on the fast track to trying to accomplish something along those lines and with any luck he'll start having some success at it because we really need it and waiting another 9 months before the next election just won't cut it.




I have my own message for Mr. Ireton. While we are averaging about 5 tee shirts per day, a woman came in today to get a tee shirt and said she had gone on line and filled out all her information to vote in the upcoming election. SHE HAS NEVER VOTED IN THE CITY IN THE PAST. This is exactly what I'm talking about Ladies & Gentlemen. Every time I hear someone say that I get goose bumps.




It is clear to me that this election WILL be the biggest voter turn out Salisbury has ever seen. A friend told me the other day that they were talking to a local business person who they thought was somewhat critical about me in the past. In their conversation my name came up and that person said, "Joe Albero is going to win this election".




I truly hope they're right. Salisbury deserves a break. Keep the momentum going Ladies & Gentlemen and come on down and get your free tee shirt and bumper sticker. "We The People" are going to win this thing.

Today's Survey Question 7-26-12

Do you want subsidized housing in Downtown Salisbury?

Fed "Independence" Is A Scam . And No Reason To Prevent A Full Audit

Congress will vote today on auditing the Federal Reserve.

The Federal Reserve says that an audit will interfere with it’s “independence”. For example, in Congressional testimony [49] on 2009, the vice chair of the Fed used the “i” word 30 times.

Democratic whip Steny Hoyer is urging Dems to vote no on auditing the Fed in order to preserve the Fed’s “independence” [50]:

This bill impedes the independence of this critical institution. In order for the Federal Reserve to do its job effectively, it should not be subject to short-term political pressures.

Hoyer doesn’t speak for the wishes of Democrats. The overwhelming majority of Americans [51] favor a full and complete audit, and disagree with the “independence” argument. For example, Bloomberg noted [52] in 2010:

A majority of Americans are dissatisfied with the nation’s independent central bank, saying the U.S. Federal Reserve should either be brought under tighter political control or abolished outright, a poll shows.

***

Americans across the political spectrum say the Fed shouldn’t retain its current structure of independence. Asked if the central bank should be more accountable to Congress, left independent or abolished entirely, 39 percent said it should be held more accountable and 16 percent that it should be abolished. Only 37 percent favor the status quo.

Are the Fed and Congressman Hoyer right and the people wrong? Do we need to protect the Fed against a short-sited Congress which cares only about political concerns?

More

Romney Hits Suspect Voter Mailings

Mitt Romney’s campaign has asked Virginia Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli to launch an investigation into a nonprofit group’s mailing of voter registration materials to ineligible voters in the state — including cats, dogs, infants and, yes, the dead.

Using mailing lists from sources such as magazine subscriptions, the Washington, D.C.-based Voter Participation Center has mailed material to potentially thousands who cannot legally vote, ranging from pets to the deceased to non-U.S. citizens.

Kathryn Biber, general counsel for the Romney campaign, wrote to Mr. Cuccinelli and Charles Judd, chairman of the Virginia State Board of Elections, noting that voter registration forms had been sent out “pre-populated” with names belonging to recipients’ dead relatives, children, noncitizen relatives, convicted felons, and cats and dogs.

More

WSJ Calls Obama A Dummy?

Wall Street Journal Sizes Up Obama

A "deadly" article regarding Obama, at the Wall Street Journal, which today is the most widely circulated newspaper in America.

Article from the Wall Street Journal - by Alan Caruba:

"I have this theory about Barack Obama. I think he's led a kind of make-believe life in which money was provided and doors were opened because at some point early on somebody or some group (George Soros anybody?) took a look at this tall, good looking, half-white, half-black, young man with an exotic African/Muslim name and concluded he could be guided toward a life in politics where his facile speaking skills could even put him in the White House.

In a very real way, he has been a young man in a very big hurry. Who else do you know has written two memoirs before the age of 45? "Dreams of My Father" was published in 1995 when he was only 34 years old. The "Audacity of Hope" followed in 2006. If, indeed, he did write them himself. There are some who think that his mentor and friend, Bill Ayers, a man who calls himself a "communist with a small 'c'" was the real author.

His political skills consisted of rarely voting on anything that might be deemed controversial. He went from a legislator in the Illinois legislature to the Senator from that state because he had the good fortune of having Mayor Daley's formidable political machine at his disposal.

He was in the U.S. Senate so briefly that his bid for the presidency was either an act of astonishing self-confidence or part of some greater game plan that had been determined before he first stepped foot in the Capital. How, many must wonder, was he selected to be a 2004 keynote speaker at the Democrat convention that nominated John Kerry when virtually no one had ever even heard of him before?

He outmaneuvered Hillary Clinton in primaries. He took Iowa by storm. A charming young man, an anomaly in the state with a very small black population, he oozed "cool" in a place where agriculture was the antithesis of cool. He dazzled the locals. And he had an army of volunteers drawn to a charisma that hid any real substance.

And then he had the great good fortune of having the Republicans select one of the most inept candidates for the presidency since Bob Dole. And then John McCain did something crazy. He picked Sarah Palin, an unknown female governor from the very distant state of Alaska. It was a ticket that was reminiscent of 1984's Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro and they went down to defeat.

The mainstream political media fell in love with him. It was a schoolgirl crush with febrile commentators like Chris Mathews swooning then and now over the man. The venom directed against McCain and, in particular, Palin, was extraordinary.

Now, 3 full years into his presidency, all of those gilded years leading up to the White House have left him unprepared to be President. Left to his own instincts, he has a talent for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. It swiftly became a joke that he could not deliver even the briefest of statements without the ever-present Tele-Prompters.

Far worse, however, is his capacity to want to "wish away" some terrible realities, not the least of which is the Islamist intention to destroy America and enslave the West. Any student of history knows how swiftly Islam initially spread. It knocked on the doors of Europe, having gained a foothold in Spain.

The great crowds that greeted him at home or on his campaign "world tour" were no substitute for having even the slightest grasp of history and the reality of a world filled with really bad people with really bad intentions.

Oddly and perhaps even inevitably, his political experience, a cakewalk, has positioned him to destroy the Democrat Party's hold on power in Congress because in the end it was never about the Party. It was always about his communist ideology, learned at an early age from family, mentors, college professors, and extreme leftist friends and colleagues.

Obama is a man who could deliver a snap judgment about a Boston police officer who arrested an "obstreperous" Harvard professor-friend, but would warn Americans against "jumping to conclusions" about a mass murderer at Fort Hood who shouted "Allahu Akbar." The absurdity of that was lost on no one. He has since compounded this by calling the Christmas bomber "an isolated extremist" only to have to admit a day or two later that he was part of an al Qaeda plot.

He is a man who could strive to close down our detention facility at Guantanamo even though those released were known to have returned to the battlefield against America. He could even instruct his Attorney General to afford the perpetrator of 9/11 a civil trial when no one else would ever even consider such an obscenity. And he is a man who could wait three days before having anything to say about the perpetrator of yet another terrorist attack on Americans and then have to elaborate on his remarks the following day because his first statement was so lame.

The pattern repeats itself. He either blames any problem on the Bush administration or he naively seeks to wish away the truth.

Knock, knock. Anyone home? Anyone there? Barack Obama exists only as the sock puppet of his handlers, of the people who have maneuvered and manufactured this pathetic individual's life.

When anyone else would quickly and easily produce a birth certificate, this man spent over a million dollars to deny access to his. Most other documents, the paper trail we all leave in our wake, have been sequestered from review. He has lived a make-believe life whose true facts remain hidden.

Salisbury News Comments

One of our biggest goals with Salisbury News has been to get the community involved. Because we're all so busy working, raising kids and other activities, it's tough to get involved in local politics or community news and events.

Today, Salisbury News has reached 386,000 published comments. If you really think about it, that's an incredible number.

That being said, Thank You! Not only is it a ton of work each day delivering you news and information you can count on, your comments make all that hard work well worth while.

House Passes Ron Paul’s Fed Audit Measure

In a move that serves as a capstone to Rep. Ron Paul’s colorful career, the House on Wednesday voted to have Congress‘ chief investigators conduct a full audit of the Federal Reserve’s shrouded decision-making process.

The overwhelming 327-98 vote sends the measure to the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, at one time expressed support for an audit — though he reportedly has changed his mind.

House passage already marks a high-water mark for those who for years have been pushing for an audit, led by Mr. Paul. The Texan rode the slogan “Audit the Fed” to prominence in two Republican presidential primary campaigns, and he said the bill is a chance for Congress to begin to reclaim the money and banking powers it is given in the Constitution, but had delegated to the Fed.

More

Dan Powell Blows Another Case, Blames Judge


Everyone remembers the birthday party / tattoo party armed robbery that happened in Crisfield back in February. when armed men broke into a Somers Cove apartment and robbed partygoers of the money and valuables. WBOC covered the story. A guest was pistol whipped and a gunshot was fired.


When we first covered this story, back in February, we said that the message had been sent out by Dan Powell, “No matter how serious of a crime you commit, I will find a way to lose it or dismiss it.”


According to the Daily Times, Dan Powell found a way to lose the case of Meko Gianni Palmiro. According the the Daily Times, Dan Powell lost because he couldn’t connect Palmiro, who was found near an abandoned getaway car in which the stolen property was located.


Refusing to accept responsibility for his own failures, Dan Powell is blaming the outcome on Judge Long, but most court observers predicted he would lose the case after his extremely poor showing when the case was called for motions on June 15. (Dan Powell himself knew he was going to lose after his motions hearing and instructed officers to recharge Palmiro with new, minor charges a few days later, anticipating the loss.)


Cases against the co-defendants are scheduled to held in August. Charles Andrew Coulbourne‘s trial is August 1. Joesph Terry Ramcharan Wilson‘s trial is August 21.


Source

Did You Know

Our Story In 2 Minutes

Let's See What You Remember


This one is fun!! Think carefully.
You are going to hate yourself over this.
It scores automatically, too.
Take this advice.... think before you answer.

Click here: How Smart Are You?

Soon To Be Easier To Carry Concealed Weapon in Md.

It's about to become much easier to get a concealed carry permit in Maryland, now that a federal judge lifted a stay.

As of Aug. 7, Maryland will no longer be able to have applicants show a "good and substantial reason" to transport a weapon.

Alan Gura, the lawyer who argued the case that changed Maryland's law, says people who want a permit will no longer be forced to prove why they should be able to exercise a right.

More

Obama's New Golf Hat

Houston Cop Arrested For Handcuffing And Raping Woman After Traffic Stop

Adan Jimenez Carranza raped woman in back of patrol car while on duty

Houston Police officer Adan Jimenez Carranza was put in jail on Friday after DNA evidence linked him to a rape he is accused of committing in June.

The victim says that she was involved in fender bender with other cars when Carranza came to the scene and directed all parties to a nearby parking lot. She says Carranza handcuffed her and put her in the back of his patrol car. He then waited until the other people involved in the accident left the scene, and raped her in the the backseat. He had his badge and gun on the entire time.

After the rape, Carranza drove the victim to the precinct and booked her in for reckless driving.

More

Where's John?

Neighbors Ponder Bizarre Ripken Kidnapping

The curious circumstances surrounding the kidnapping and then release of Cal Ripken Jr.'s 74-year-old mother are all the talk of her community outside Baltimore, where such crime doesn't happen and where her neighbors know the matriarch of the famous baseball family as "just Vi."

Vi Ripken was found bound but unharmed in her car Wednesday morning, a day after being abducted at gunpoint at her house, blindfolded and driven around by her kidnapper, police said. He left her in her silver Lincoln Continental near her house in Aberdeen. She was tied up, but unharmed.

More

Sequestration Could Spur Furloughs at Education

Sequestration would force the Education Department to furlough many of its employees, the department's leader said Wednesday.

"If we're faced with tough calls, we have an obligation to be fiscally responsible," Secretary Arne Duncan said in an interview with Federal News Radio after a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, and Related Agencies hearing Wednesday.

Duncan did not say exactly how many employees the automatic spending cuts would affect, but his statement followed a July 2012 finding by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) that $500 billion in sequestration cuts to nondefense spending could result in the direct loss of 229,000 jobs in civilian agencies.

 More

Security And Self-Governance

The senseless and horrific killings last week at a movie theater in Colorado reminded Americans that life is fragile and beautiful, and we should not take family, friends, and loved ones for granted. Our prayers go out to the injured victims and the families of those killed. As a nation we should use this terrible event to come together with the resolve to create a society that better values life.

We should also face the sober reality that government cannot protect us from all possible harm. No matter how many laws we pass, no matter how many police or federal agents we put on the streets, no matter how routinely we monitor internet communications, a determined individual or group can still cause great harm. We as individuals are responsible for our safety and the safety of our families.

More

Gas Prices Rise 8 Cents in a Week

This week wasn't a good one at the pump. The latest WTOP Pain in the Gas Survey shows the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.61, up 8 cents from last week.

A gallon of mid-grade gas went up 6 cents, to $3.79 a gallon. Meanwhile, premium is up 8 cents to $3.92 a gallon. Diesel is up 4 cents to $3.92 a gallon.

More

NEW BUREAU CHIEFS PROMOTED - FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE MAJOR APPOINTED - NEW STATE POLICE BUREAU ORGANIZED

(PIKESVILLE, MD) -- Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Marcus L. Brown today announced the promotions of three new bureau chiefs, one of whom will head a new bureau, as well as other top promotions that include the first African American female to hold the rank of major in the department.

Colonel Brown announced Major Anthony Satchell is promoted to lieutenant colonel. Lt. Colonel Satchell will head the new Bureau of Special Operations in the Maryland State Police that will administer the Aviation Command, the Commercial Vehicle and Automotive Safety Enforcement Divisions, and the Special Operations Division. The Special Operations Division includes the Special Tactical Assault Team Element, K-9 Unit, Motorcycle Unit, Underwater Recovery Unit and the Hostage Recovery Team.

Major Andrew McAndrew is promoted to lieutenant colonel. Lt. Colonel McAndrew will now head the Field Operations Bureau, where he previously served as an assistant bureau chief. The Field Operations Bureau includes the State Police patrol force and barrack criminal investigators assigned to the 22 barracks across Maryland. Lt. Colonel McAndrew has served in number of patrol and investigative positions during his career, including service as the commander of the Aviation Command.

Major Rob Turano is promoted to lieutenant colonel. Lt. Colonel Turano will head the Support Services Bureau. Lt. Colonel Turano previously served as both chief and assistant chief of the Field Operations Bureau. He is a 27-year veteran of the Maryland State Police and will oversee the divisions responsible for the recruitment, training and equipping of troopers, as well as information technology support for the entire department.

Captain Anita Allen is promoted to major and becomes the first African American female to hold that rank in the Maryland State Police. Major Allen, who formerly commanded the Fair Practices Section, will now serve as an assistant bureau chief in the Support Services Bureau. She has been a member of the Maryland State Police for 23 years and served before that as an officer with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police.

Captain Linda Stascavage is promoted to major and assigned to be an assistant chief in the Field Operations Bureau. Major Stascavage is a 24-year veteran and previously served on the Superintendent’s Staff and as commander of the Criminal Intelligence Division.

Captain Scott Wayne is promoted to major. Major Wayne will administer the Special Operations and Transportation Safety Command and serve as an assistant bureau chief in the Bureau of Special Operations. Major Wayne is a 21-year veteran of the Maryland State Police and most recently served as commander of the Inspections and Compliance Division.

Santa Claus Lookalike Gets Booted Out Of Disney World

A man who looks like Santa Claus says he was told to leave Disney World because he was distracting kids and guests at the Florida theme park.

Thomas Tolbert has portrayed Santa for years and fits the part, with his thick white beard and hair. But he tells WKMG-TV in Orlando he didn't dress up in a Santa suit while on vacation at Disney World.

Some children asked him to take a picture with them during the last day of his recent vacation, and he obliged. When a Disney representative saw him, Tolbert was asked to move on.

More

Anti Albero Bloggers Prank Texting Lost Animal Owners

Already getting prank text. What is wrong with people?

The above message came in this morning. It seems some of the Anti Albero Bloggers are being extremely rude by sending in false messages purposely trying to further hurt those people who have lost their pets.

You would think Julie Brewington, (a pet owner) and Jonathan Taylor would be adult enough to realize these people are very concerned for their lost animals but clearly they don't care.

Cooling Centers to Open in Wicomico County

(Salisbury, MD) Wicomico County will open a cooling center on Thursday, July 26, 2012 and Friday, July 27, 2012. The cooling center will be located at the Wicomico County Civic Center (Flanders Rooms 1 & 2), 500 Glen Avenue Salisbury, MD. The center will be open from 10AM until 8PM. Residents will need to bring their own food, beverages, and medications. No pets will be permitted. Residents needing free transportation to the cooling center should call Shore Transit at 443-260-2300.

The MAC Center will be opened to all individuals over the age of 50 who need shelter from the extreme heat. The MAC Center is located at located at 909 Progress Circle, Suite 200 Salisbury, MD 21804. The center’s hours of operation are 8:30AM to 4:30PM. Residents do not need to be affiliated with the MAC Center.

Health officials are reminding residents to check on neighbors, friends, and loved ones. Of particular concern are the elderly and those with a history of chronic disease. Residents should avoid all outside activities and stay well hydrated. Individuals without air condition or those experiencing power loss should visit a cooling center or another public air conditioned facility, such as the mall. For local and updated cooling center information, facts on heat related illness, or additional tips on how to stay cool, visit the Wicomico County Health Department's website at www.wicomicohealth.org.